PENDLETON — Major components from Chad Cook’s fourth-straight winning team at Pendleton Heights are gone, but the Arabians feel there is plenty of returning help to have another strong season.
“This team has something to prove,” said head coach Cook, in his sixth season at Pendleton Heights. “Losing a couple key players from last year, this nucleus left has to make people believe in them. That’s kind of their mindset. They’re a tough-nosed, hard-working group that’s very coachable, and they’re going to respond well to competition.”
The Arabians reached the semifinals of the Richmond Sectional last year, losing to eventual sectional champion New Palestine.
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Pendleton Heights finished 13-12 and is 72-50 in Cook’s five previous seasons.
Leading scorer Aubree Dwiggins, who averaged 15.5 points per game, has graduated. So has Megan Mills, who added 11.1 points and was the team’s top rebounder and defender.
“We lost our leading scorer, leading rebounder and best defender, but we’ll find a new leading scorer and new leading rebounder,” Cook said. “We have five girls (who) have started a bunch of games. That kind of experience is a really good thing for us.”
The cupboard is far from bare.
Senior guard Kylie Davis was last season’s MVP. She averaged 12.8 points, 2.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Senior Gracie Conkling, a 5-10 guard, averaged 4.6 points in 2019-20.
They are the only two seniors on a team that has experience to go with some youth.
Playing time is nothing new to sophomore Whitney Warfel (5-10, forward) and a group of juniors that include Kylea Lloyd (5-11, forward), Morgan Martin (5-6, guard), Hailee Brunnemer (5-10, guard) and Abi Rosenkrans (5-9, guard).
“They’re going to be willing to do what it takes to be competitive on a night-in-and-night-out basis, and their chemistry is pretty good,” Cook said.
Warfel is coming back from an injury during volleyball season. She averaged 6.5 points last year as a freshman starter. Lloyd is the club’s top returning rebounder at 4.5 per game. She also averaged 2.8 points.
Martin added 2.1 points per game and 1.4 assists, while Rosenkrans, who was a key loss to injury late last season, averaged 2.6 points in 11 games. Brunnemer saw action in 10 varsity games and averaged 1.7 points.
Cook believes all of his vets have the ability to have solid scoring nights, which should help with many clubs likely keying on reigning team MVP Davis.
“I think it’s going to be spread out pretty good,” he said. “We could come from a lot of different angles, and I think our defense is going to be good.”
Sophomore newcomer Jaylee Hubble is an addition who could provide good perimeter shooting to go with the outside game of returnees Davis, Rosenkrans and Brunnemer, helping open up the inside play from the likes of Warfel, Conkling and Lloyd.
Martin, he said, is a strong ball-handler and is developing more confidence scoring, too.
“As long as we have good energy, good effort, I like the way we’ll be able to spread it around,” Cook said.
Depth is expected to be another strong suit for the Arabians.
Sophomore guard Ava Phillips (5-8) and sophomore forward Berkley Shelton (5-8) are two others proving they could work their way into more playing time.
“It’s definitely a good group of girls,” Cook said. “They’re trying to prove themselves and make people believe in them.”
It all starts for the Arabians tonight, Thursday, Nov. 5, at home against Marion. The game was originally scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3, but was changed earlier this week. The junior varsity game begins at 6 p.m. with the varsity following at about 7:30 p.m.
The first road game is Saturday at Westfield, with a noon start for the JV.
The initial Hoosier Heritage Conference game is at home on Tuesday, Nov. 10, against New Castle, with a 6 p.m. tipoff for the JV-varsity doubleheader.
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2020-21 Pendleton Heights girls basketball roster
No.;Name;Grade;Ht.;Pos.
2;Morgan Martin;11;5-6;G
3;Hailee Brunnemer;11;5-10;G
5;Skylar Baldwin;9;5-2;G
12;Jaylee Hubble;10;5-7;G
22;Ava Phillips;10;5-8;G
23;Kylie Davis;12;5-7;G
24;Abi Rosenkrans;11;5-9;G
25;Isabelle Williams;9;5-7;G
31;Berkley Shelton;10;5-8;F
32;Kylea Lloyd;11;5-11;F
33;Gracie Conkling;12;5-10;G
40;Whitney Warfel;10;5-10;F
Head coach – Chad Cook
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2020-21 Pendleton Heights girls basketball schedule
Date;Opponent;Time
Nov. 5;vs. Marion;7:30 p.m.
Nov. 7;at Westfield;1:30 p.m.
Nov. 10;vs. New Castle;7:30 p.m.
Nov. 14;at Yorktown; POSTPONED, no makeup date announced
Nov. 20;at Greenfield-Central;7:30 p.m.
Nov. 21;at Frankton;7:30 p.m.
Nov. 27;vs. Shelbyville;7:30 p.m.
Dec. 5;vs. Mt. Vernon;1:30 p.m.
Dec. 8;at Hamilton Southeastern;7:30 p.m.
Dec. 10;vs. Delta;7:30 p.m.
Dec. 14;vs. Lawrence Central;7:30 p.m.
Dec. 17;vs. Fishers;7:30 p.m.
Jan. 4;Madison County tourney;TBA
Jan. 15;vs. New Palestine;6 p.m.
Jan. 16;vs. Rushville;1:30 p.m.
Jan. 19;at Lapel;7:30 p.m.
Jan. 21;at Connersville;7:30 p.m.
Jan. 23;vs. Shenandoah;1:30 p.m.
Jan. 25;at Eastern Hancock;6 p.m.
Jan. 27;at Noblesville;7:30 p.m.
Jan. 28;at Pike;7:30 p.m.
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